In a spectacular display of athleticism and strategy, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final, held at the historic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. With a resounding win against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), KKR clinched their third IPL title on the same grounds where they secured their maiden triumph in 2012. The date, May 26, 2024, will be etched in the memories of KKR fans, who witnessed their team’s dominance in both bowling and batting.
After losing the toss, KKR’s captain Shreyas Iyer expressed his preference to bowl first, coincidentally, in line with SRH’s decision to bat. KKR’s bowlers, evidently charged up by their captain’s faith, delivered a stunning performance that restricted SRH to a meager total of 113. This turned out to be child’s play for KKR, who chased it down effortlessly in just 10.3 overs, losing only two wickets in the process.
The MVP of this gripping final was none other than Mitchell Starc, whose bowling excellence had already shone during their previous encounter with SRH in Ahmedabad. Starc set the tone from the onset, taking the new ball against a reshuffled SRH opening act where Abhishek Sharma faced the first delivery. Starc’s fiery first over included a delivery that is sure to be remembered as one of the balls of the tournament. It pitched around middle-stump and moved away just enough to make an edged dismissal of SRH’s prolific opener Abhishek, sending SRH’s top order into disarray.
Following Starc’s lead, Vaibhav Arora added to the pressure with some magical deliveries of his own. He dismissed Travis Head immediately as he came to the crease, putting SRH on the back foot with a score of six for two. Such early setbacks made it difficult for SRH to find momentum, as KKR’s bowlers kept the run flow tight during the powerplay overs. The return of Starc in the fifth over saw another crucial dismissal when Rahul Tripathi succumbed to a mistimed shot that ended up as a simple catch at mid-wicket.
Despite the onslaught, SRH showed signs of life when they managed to score 17 runs off the final powerplay over, with Nitish Reddy smashing the first six of the game. Yet, KKR’s bowlers were unforgiving.
. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana continued to dismantle the SRH lineup, each capturing vital wickets. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy kept the pressure steady with their economical spells, never allowing SRH to settle.
Post-powerplay, Reddy’s short-lived resistance was ended by an edge caught behind off Rana’s bowling, and Russell seized upon Aiden Markram’s wicket when Markram holed out to Starc at long-on. Further collapses followed as Shahbaz Ahmed fell cheaply, caught off Chakaravarthy, and Abdul Samad, SRH’s impact player, succumbed to Russell’s persistence.
The most devastating blow came when Rana bowled Heinrich Klaasen in the 15th over, leaving SRH struggling to even reach three figures. It was Pat Cummins who provided a semblance of resistance, finishing as SRH’s top scorer with 24 runs. Unfortunately for Cummins, his innings came to an end just after he was reprieved by Starc, ironically losing his wicket to the same fielder.
KKR’s chase was fueled by confidence and aggression from the start. Rahmanullah Gurbaz began with a boundary off the second ball, and Narine added a six to the tally in the subsequent over. Although Narine was dismissed early, the arrival of Venkatesh Iyer at the crease only accelerated KKR’s march towards victory. Iyer’s display of power hitting – including two sixes and a four in a single over off Bhuvneshwar Kumar – epitomized the team’s dominance.
By the time the powerplay ended, KKR had already amassed 72 runs for the loss of a single wicket. The acceleration in scoring did not cease as Gurbaz and Iyer continued their assault on SRH’s bowlers. Though Gurbaz departed for 39 runs, Venkatesh Iyer took the reins, guiding KKR beyond the 100-run mark with ease.
With the finishing line in sight, Iyer completed his fifty off just 24 balls and sealed the victory with a boundary, igniting joyous celebrations among the KKR squad. It was a fitting end to a near-perfect season for Kolkata Knight Riders, as they embraced their third IPL title, solidifying their place in T20 cricket history with this emphatic win.